A Staffordshire mother who tried a brand-new weight-loss injection in an effort to lose weight has advised others not to purchase it. Zoe Smith, 30, paid more than £480 for the jab from Asda after seeing the injection on TikTok.
She claims, however, that she experienced headaches, missed periods, and even gained weight. The injection, in her opinion, was “dangerously easy to buy,” she adds.
According to Zoe, she was a size 20 and 17 stone, which made her desire to reduce weight. She had already tried calorie deficits, smoothie detoxes, Weight Watchers, and Slimming World. After speaking with a nutritionist, Zoe was informed that the injection might be her only option before undergoing gastric band surgery.
She spent £460 for eight pens over a two-month period injecting the medication into her stomach once a day. She claims that the injection left her feeling “nauseous, unable to get out of bed,” and after seven pens, she stopped taking it. She is currently waiting for a gastric sleeve on the NHS.
Zoe, a mother of one and sole caregiver for her son, said: “I’d tried every diet out there. Because the Saxenda injection isn’t approved for weight loss in my location, my dietician was unable to prescribe it; I had to buy it myself for £230 online.
“I didn’t want to jump into it straight away – I researched Saxenda on TikTok for two months before taking the plunge. Most TikTokers’ side effects seemed minimal, and their dramatic weight loss made it look worth it.
“I lost a lot of weight – but it made me feel horrendous. It’s not worth it,” Zoe says. Saxenda was licensed for use in the UK in June 2020 – but at the time, it was only available via the Lloyds Pharmacy weight loss programme – and later, NHS prescription.
Since March 2022, the treatment has been available online via a web form at shops with pharmacies such as Asda, Superdrug and Boots. Zoe says she found it “worrying” how “easily” she was able to buy the injection.
“It worried me how easy it was to get the treatment,” she said. “There’s a questionnaire – they ask you whether you have any history of eating disorders, or whether you’re on any medications.
“It’s totally possible to lie. You don’t have to send any proof and there’s no consultation.”
